Brian’s Blog: Reagan Avenue Has a Ring to It [POLL]

Yakima has a tradition of streets named after presidents. I think we could use one more.

Washington, Lincoln, Adams, Roosevelt,and Madison are just a few of the streets in Yakima that are named for presidents. We have a tradition of naming schools after presidents as well. Garfield, Wilson, Hoover, Eisenhower. So, the precedent for honoring our former chief executives is well established.

For some time, I personally have felt that a major street in Yakima should be re-named for our 40th president, Ronald Reagan.

I started thinking about this around the time the city was in the process of re-naming "B" Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I believe it was right to re-name a street to honor the civil rights leader, as many other cities across the country have done. I thought; "Why not honor the president that stared down the Soviet Union. The President that brought pride back to our country after Watergate, the Ford years, and the Carter administration.

I'm not ashamed to say that Ronald Reagan shaped my politics. I also realize that some people don't look up to him as I do, but Mr. Reagan did a lot of good for the United States.

So, I propose changing the name of 72nd Avenue to Ronald Reagan Avenue.

I know that human beings are often resistant to change, and that many private residences and businesses would be affected by an address change. Some people will say;" You change one street name, we'll be doing it all the time. Where will it end?" It's an honest, emotional response that we heard when Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard came to be. But there hasn't been a street name change since then, and the city still stands.